Crafting Fanny The Fairy: The Character Of Gregor

Gregor was a difficult character to explore because so much of his story happens before the main events of the book.

When we meet Grizelda, her father has already been dead for many years, yet his influence remains everywhere.

Gregor was a remarkably successful inventor. His vegetable cutting machine brought him substantial wealth and allowed him to become one of the most prominent men in Bealacune. His success was so significant that it ultimately became one of the reasons why Ginni's father wanted him to marry his daughter. Yet wealth did not make Gregor happy.

His marriage to Ginni was built upon an arrangement that neither of them truly wanted. Ginni married him to save her father's business, while Gregor believed that he was gaining a wife who would support him while he focused on his inventions and factory.

After Grizelda's birth, Gregor tried to repair the distance between himself and Ginni through wealth. He bought her expensive jewellery, silk gowns, elaborate meals and even arranged music performed by some of the finest musicians of the time. But none of those things could create the affection that was missing from their marriage.

This is something that I wanted to explore through Gregor. Wealth can provide comfort, opportunities and beautiful things, but it cannot force someone to love you. Gregor had the ability to buy almost anything, yet he could not purchase the one thing he wanted most. His story also explains why Ginni became so protective of her independence after his death. People assumed that she had rejected her husband because she was cold or ungrateful. The truth was far more complicated.

Gregor eventually recognised Ginni's potential and became her mentor. He taught her how to manage the business, and for a brief period, the relationship between them improved dramatically. He finally understood that the woman he had underestimated was capable of far more than he had imagined. His death only two hours after that revelation makes his story particularly tragic.

I wanted Gregor to remain an imperfect character. He made mistakes, underestimated his wife and allowed the expectations placed upon him to affect his relationship. But he also had the ability to recognise his mistakes and, in the end, give Ginni the opportunity to become the woman she was always capable of becoming.